Smoko shed allegedly prompts furious argument

By Jorge Branco

13 February 2015 - 05:54pm

A union official has been accused of launching a torrent of abuse at construction workers and throwing food on the ground - all over the use of an on-site smoko shed.

Federal Circuit Court documents lodged in late January allege Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) official Scott Vink swore at Gold Coast construction workes, tried to tip one from his chair and told him "Sheds were won by unionists for unionists mate."

Fair Work Building and Construction, the federal building industry regulator, launched the proceedings against the CFMEU, its Queensland branch and Mr Vink over an incident at the Pacific Fair Shopping Centre redevelopment on the Gold Coast in March last year.

It's alleged the union official entered the site for a safety inspection but instead removed workers' property from the shed and food from the fridge before abusing the manager when confronted about it and padlocking the shed.

"It's not your shed. It has been paid for by somebody else," he allegedly said.

"Sheds were won by unionists for unionists mate."

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When a health and safety manager and a project engineer returned the food to the shed and refused to leave it's claimed Mr Vink yelled "Get out of the f***n' shed".

Mr Vink took the food that had been returned, including two cartons of milk, and threw them outside onto a pile of workers' possessions, it's alleged, before trying to tip the manager out of his chair.

"Get out of the shed you scab," It's alleged he said.

"You're a f***ing piece of sh*t mate, that's what you are."

The alleged argument continued when the manager asked if food that needed to be kept cold could stay in the fridge.

"No. maybe you can put Neil's stuff in the fridge. Neil's a union member, and that's how fridges came about on sites mate," Mr Vink allegedly said.

"So how about you take it up there and go and get an esky or something like that?"

"Right. So now do you want to do what is asked and get out of the shed please mate? No one's putting anything in that fridge except for union members."

Mr Vink then allegedly padlocked the shed and launched a further expletive-ridden tiradewhen he heard two workers asking what they could do for a fridge.

FWBC is claiming Mr Vink broke the Fair Work Act on four occasions by stopping workers from entering the shed.

Mr Vink could face a fine of up to $10,200 and the union could be fined as much as $51,000.

Mr Vink's lawyer Luke Tiley declined to comment and the CFMEU failed to respond to requests to comment.

The case is due to be heard in Brisbane's Federal Circuit Court on March 9.